Packaging for a data carrier

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a packaging for a data carrier ( 2 ), comprising a holding device ( 4 ) made of a printable material and at least one recess ( 6 ) which is located on the interior faces ( 16, 18 ) of the holding device ( 4 ) and within which the data carrier is disposed. The depth of the recess ( 6 ) substantially corresponds to the thickness of the data carrier ( 2 ). At least some sections of the surface of the data carrier ( 2 ) are provided with a printable surface ( 8 ).

The invention pertains to a package for a data carrier that comprises a holding arrangement, in which the data carrier can be accommodated and securely stored.

In this context, the term data carrier primarily refers to optical data carrier such as, for example, Compact Discs (CDs) or Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs). However, the invention is not limited to these types of data carriers. The data carriers may also have different shapes such as, for example, rectangular or square.

Packages of the above-described type, e.g., CD packages, are usually manufactured of a largely transparent plastic material, into which the data carrier is inserted. The labeling of the package usually can only be realized with an insert that typically consists of paper and is visible through the transparent plastic material.

WO 99/35648 discloses a package that is manufactured entirely of a paperboard material and consequently has special properties with respect to its optical appearance and environmental compatibility. In this case, the fixing element for holding the data carrier is also manufactured exclusively of paperboard. WO 99/35648 states that the package can be printed in order to realize special design effects. After the printing process, the data carrier is inserted into the package and the product in the form of a music CD or a film DVD is ready for sale on the retail market.

In another type of CD package, the holding arrangement consists of a paperboard material and a conventional plastic profile glued thereon. The CD can be pressed on this plastic profile until it snaps onto the elastic center piece. This package consequently consists of a paperboard/plastic combination.

Optical storage mediums are not only sold in the form of pre-recorded products, but also as data carriers, on which data can be recorded once or rerecorded several times, for example, a diskette, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+RW or DVD-RW. The end user chooses the data to be recorded on the data carrier and utilizes the conventional packages as storage and stacking mediums. As mentioned above, these conventional packages are usually manufactured of a transparent plastic material and a separately printed paper insert is inserted into the package. This means that the individual design options for the packages are limited because the external appearance, particularly the outer surface of the package, is predefined.

The state of the art also includes a stencil, into which a CD or DVD is inserted. The unit consisting of the stencil and the CD or DVD can then be fed into a printer in order to print the surface of the CD or DVD, respectively. Although this makes it possible to print the data carriers, the packages cannot be individually designed because they are realized conventionally—as described above. In addition, it is relatively costly to utilize a separate stencil that is only suitable for one respective type of printer.

The present invention is based on the technical objective of disclosing a package that can be individually designed with simple means.

According to the invention, the aforementioned technical objective is attained with a package with the characteristics of claim 1.

The package is suitable for any data carrier and has the following characteristics: a holding arrangement of a printable material, and at least one recess that serves for accommodating the data carrier and is arranged on the inner side of the holding arrangement, wherein the depth of the recess essentially corresponds to the thickness of the data carrier, and wherein the data carrier has an at least sectionally printable surface.

According to the invention, the package and the data carrier can be individually printed during the same printing process such that a uniform and simultaneously individual appearance of the package and the data carrier can be achieved. A package with a data carrier with an individual exterior design is obtained if the rear side of the package is printed analogously after the first printing process, in which the inner side of the package and the data carrier are printed. Naturally, it would also be possible to print the rear side first and to subsequently print the inner side together with the data carrier in a second printing process.

This makes it possible for the first time to produce a unit consisting of a package and a data carrier that can be individually printed on conventional printers. The only special requirement with respect to the printer is that it allows the feed of a material with a thickness of approximately 2-2.5 mm or more.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned technical objective is attained with a package for a data carrier that has the following characteristics: a holding arrangement of a printable material and at least one recess that is arranged on an inner surface of the holding arrangement and serves for accommodating a data carrier, wherein a frame is provided that surrounds the holding arrangement and is at least sectionally connected to the holding arrangement.

According to the invention, it was determined that the package can be printed better and, in particular, up to the outermost edge if such a frame is provided, namely regardless of whether or not a data carrier is arranged in the recess. The frame does not form part of the actual package, but only remains connected to the package until the printing process is completed. Subsequently, the package is separated from the frame such that the individually printed package remains. Among other things, the frame fulfills a guide function and a transport function in the printer.

It is particularly advantageous to combine both above-described inventions. In other words, if the package contains a data carrier in its recess and a frame is connected to the package, a product is obtained that combines the advantages of allowing the simultaneous printing of the data carrier and the package and of printing the package up to the outer edge.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention are disclosed in the dependent claims and discussed in the following description of preferred embodiments that refers to the enclosed figures. The figures show;

FIGS. 1-4, a first embodiment of a package according to the invention;

FIGS. 5-9, a second embodiment of a package according to the invention;

FIG. 9, a third embodiment of a package according to the invention, and

FIG. 10, several stages of the method for manufacturing a package according to the invention.

FIGS. 1-4 show a first embodiment of a package according to the invention for a data carrier 2 that consists of an optical data carrier in this case, particularly a CD. The package comprises a holding arrangement 4 of a printable material, wherein the printable sections of the holding arrangement 4 are shaded in gray. A recess 6 is provided on the inner surface of the holding arrangement 4 in order to accommodate the data carrier 2. The data carrier 2 is arranged in the recess as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

The recess 6 has a depth that essentially corresponds to the thickness of the data carrier 2. The data carrier 2 has an at least sectionally printable surface 8.

The characteristics of the package resulting thereof are discussed below. The surface of the holding arrangement 4 as well as the surface 8 of the data carrier 6 are printable, and the depth of the recess 6 essentially corresponds to the thickness of the data carrier 2 such that the surface 8 and the surface of the holding arrangement 4 essentially lie in one plane. When the data carrier 2 is accommodated in the recess 4 in its entirety, the package 4 can be placed into a printer together with the data carrier 2. Naturally, this printer needs to provide a sufficient gap for feeding and printing a package with a thickness on the order of 2 mm or more. After this printing process, the rear side of the package that lies opposite of the data carrier can also be printed. This side is shown in FIG. 2. The printable sections are also shaded in gray in this figure. A short title or a table of contents can be printed, in particular, on the narrow center region that subsequently forms the spine of the folded package.

FIGS. 5-8 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In contrast to the first embodiment, no data carrier is arranged in the recess in this case. However, a frame 10 is provided that surrounds the holding arrangement 4 and is at least sectionally connected to the holding arrangement 10 [sio].

This embodiment provides the advantage that the printer is able to take hold of, guide and transport the holding arrangement 4 at the frame 10 during the printing process. The typical guide rollers provided for this purpose adjoin the upper side and the lower side of the frame 10 with a certain contact pressure in order to hold and transport the holding arrangement.

In addition, the printable region of the holding arrangement 4 is no longer restricted due to the fact that it cannot be printed up to the outermost edge. On the contrary, the printing on the holding arrangement 4 may even extend as far as the region of the frame in order to ensure that the entire holding arrangement 4 is printed.

According to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the data carrier 2 may be coated with a printable layer 8. Otherwise, the data carrier usually cannot be printed because the material, for example, of a CD or a DVD typically is not suitable for direct printing on conventional printers. Various options may be considered with respect to the coating. The data carrier may be coated with an emulsion, particularly a paper emulsion, in order to form a directly printable layer that is connected to the surface of the data carrier 2. Alternatively, it would also be possible to attach an adhesive label, particularly an adhesive paper label of suitable shape.

It would also be conceivable to utilize materials other than paper as the base material for the printable layer. For example, it would be possible to utilize a plastic, the surface of which can be printed. The data carrier may also be realized in a directly printable fashion, for example, if it contains a sleeve. This is the case, for example, with conventional diskettes.

The holding arrangement 4 may also consist of a paperboard or paper material such that the holding arrangement 4 itself can be directly printed. Alternatively, the holding arrangement 4 may be manufactured of a directly printable plastic such that no paper or paperboard surface is required.

It is preferred to utilize a surface coating of photographic paper for realizing the above-described printable surfaces of the data carrier 2 and the holding arrangement 4. This measure makes it possible to achieve a very high printing quality, for example, with conventional ink jet printers. In addition, all other types of printers such as, for example, thermal printers or laser printers can be utilized if the respectively chosen paper surface can be adequately printed on the respective printer.

The embodiments shown consist of a two-layer paperboard material as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4 as well as 7 and 8. In this case, a blank is punched out of a paperboard sheet—as described in greater detail below with reference to FIG. 10—and said blank is then folded, glued and subjected to another punching process in order to obtain a package according to the invention.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 5-8 respectively comprise a holding arrangement 4 with a front panel 12 and a rear panel 14. The inner side 16 of the rear panel 14 contains the recess 6, and the front panel 12 is connected to the rear panel 14 in an articulated fashion. The front panel 12 consequently is suitable for covering the inner side 16 of the rear panel 14. This results in a booklet-like shape that can be opened and closed similar to a typical CD package.

Optical data carriers such as, for example, CDs or DVDs are round and contain a centrally arranged opening 20. Accordingly, a fixing element 22 is situated in the center of the circular recess 6 in the embodiments shown, wherein the outside diameter of the fixing element is adapted to the inside diameter of the opening 20. The fixing element 22 preferably consists of the same material as the holding arrangement 4, but may optionally consist of another material. The surface of the fixing element 22 does not necessarily have to be printable. In other words, the fixing element 22 may also consist of a conventional fixing element of plastic that contains elastic elements. The only requirement with respect to this fixing element is that it cannot protrude upward over the plane defined by the surface of the data carrier.

It would also be conceivable to omit the fixing element 22. If the round recess 4 has an inside diameter that is adapted to the outside diameter of the data carrier, the data carrier 2 can be held along its outer circumferential edge by the inner edge of the recess 4 and thusly fixed in position. A fixing element 22 of the previously described type is not required in this case.

The present invention is not limited to the round shape of widely used optical data carriers. According to FIG. 9, the data carrier 2′ may also have a rectangular shape, particularly a square shape. In this case, the recess 6′ hap a shape that is adapted to the outside contour of the data carrier 4′. With respect to all other characteristics, the third embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9 corresponds to those described above and below.

The method for manufacturing the package according to the invention is described below with reference to FIGS. 10A-10D, wherein this method has independent inventive merit and may also assert separate protection.

FIGS. 10A-10D show the manufacture of a package that represents a combination of the two first embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 5-8. The printable package contains the data carrier as well as the frame. This combines all above-described advantages in one package.

The method begins as shown in FIG. 10A. A blank of the shape shown is punched out of a paperboard sheet. The dimension of the outer contour 24 is greater than twice the dimension of the outer contour 26 of the holding arrangement 4 including the frame 10 as discussed in greater detail below.

The other contours 28 a and 28 b are also punched through the paperboard material and respectively define the external shape of the holding arrangement 4. Small webs for connecting the holding arrangement to the frame 10 are only provided at a few locations. It would also be conceivable to provide a perforation, particularly a microperforation. This simplifies the subsequent removal of the holding arrangement 4 from the frame 10 and prevents visible evidence of the prior connection to the frame on the outer edge of the holding arrangement 4.

The punching 28 a illustrated in the upper region of FIG. 10A contains two grooves 30 that extend vertically and are not punched through the entire paperboard material. These grooves 30 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 and serve for subsequently folding the holding arrangement. The section that forms the spine of the booklet-like package after the folding of the holding arrangement 4 is situated between the grooves 30.

The punching 28 b illustrated in the lower region of FIG. 10A contains two punched contours 32 and 34 that are essentially adapted to the shape of a CD. The punched contour 32 essentially represents the outer contour of the CD, and the punched contour 34 represents the inner contour of the CD. This means that the material arranged between the contours 32 and 34 represents a paperboard disk 36 that is removed in a subsequent step of the method. The material of the fixing element 22 is arranged within the punched contour 34.

It would also be possible to provide two vertically extending punched contours 38 within the punching 28 b. In this case, a web 40 is situated between these punched contours, wherein the function of said web is described in greater detail below.

The two upper and lower parts of the punched contour 24 represent two layers that are glued to one another in the next step. For this purpose, an adhesive is applied onto the surfaces illustrated with a hatching in FIG. 10A. Subsequently, the two parts are folded along the folding line 42 and glued to one another.

This results in the two-layer intermediate product illustrated in FIG. 10B that contains the above-described punched contours and plane sections.

FIG. 10C shows the step, in which the intermediate product shown in FIG. 10B is punched once again along the broken line 46. This provides the product with its final exterior shape that defines the frame 10 and the holding arrangement 4. This product is illustrated in FIG. 10D.

According to FIG. 10D, the disk 36 is then removed and a data carrier 2 is inserted into the thusly produced recess 6 (see FIGS. 1-9). The product can be sold to the end consumer in this form, wherein the respective consumer is able to individually print the product. The surfaces on the inner side of the holding arrangement to be printed during the printing process are shaded in gray in FIG. 10D.

After printing the holding arrangement 4, if applicable, together with the data carrier 2, the web 40 between the inner side 18 of the front panel 12 and the inner side 16 of the rear panel 14 is removed; see FIG. 3 (prior to removal) and FIG. 4 (after removal). During the printing process, the web 40 ensures that the entire surfaces of the inner sides 16 and 18 transform into one another in a nearly seamless fashion such that a uniform printing process can be achieved. If the web 40 would not be provided, it can occur that the spaced-apart inner sides 16 and 18 form a gap, in which the guide rollers of the printer could get caught during the printing process.

If the holding arrangement 4 needs to be folded after the printing process in order to complete the package, the non-glued web 40 is previously removed; see FIG. 10A. In other respects, this folding process is also promoted by the grooves 30.

It should also be mentioned that the additional recess 44 forms part of the recess 6 and simplifies the removal of the paperboard disk 36 and subsequently the removal of the data carrier 2. 

1. A package for a data carrier, with a holding arrangement of a printable material, and with at least one recess that is arranged on the inner side of the holding arrangement and accommodates the data carrier, wherein the depth of the recess essentially corresponds to the thickness of the data carrier, and the data carrier has an at least sectionally printable surface
 2. The package according to claim 1, wherein a frame is provided that surrounds the holding arrangement and is at least sectionally connected to the holding arrangement.
 3. A package for a data carrier, with a holding arrangement of a printable material, and with at least one recess that is arranged on an inner surface of the holding arrangement and accommodates a data carrier, wherein a frame is provided that surrounds the holding arrangement and is at least sectionally connected to the holding arrangement.
 4. The package according to claim 3, wherein a data carrier is arranged in the recess, in the recess has a depth that essentially corresponds to the thickness of the data carrier, and the data carrier has an at least sectionally printable surface.
 5. The package according to claim 3, wherein the data carrier is coated with a printable layer.
 6. The package according to claim 5, wherein the data carrier is coated with a paper emulsion.
 7. The package according to claim 5, wherein the data carrier is provided with a printable adhesive label.
 8. The package according to claim 3, wherein the holding arrangement consists of a paperboard material.
 9. The package according to claim 3, wherein the holding arrangement consists of a two-layer paperboard material.
 10. The package according to claim 1, wherein the data carrier is coated with a printable layer.
 11. The package according to claim 10, wherein the data carrier is coated with a paper emulsion.
 12. The package according to claim 10, wherein the data carrier is provided with a printable adhesive label.
 13. The package according to claim 1, wherein the holding arrangement consists of a paperboard material.
 14. The package according to claim 1, wherein the holding arrangement consists of a two-layer paperboard material. 